Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago

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Rolex is one of the biggest and most prestigious names in watches. Over 2,000 Rolex watches are produced per day, generating billions in sales. And it seems like everyone around the world loves them. From Pope John Paul II and the 14th Dalai Lama to Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.

No matter the country, most people can recognize a Rolex. And as far as brand recognition goes, it doesn’t get much better than that. But how did the company go from being founded by an orphan to the billion-dollar empire it is today? Watch the video to find out!

Sources

Hans Wilsdorf
watchmaster.com/en/journal/stories-en/portrait-rolex-founder-hans-wilsdorf

Rolex
youtube.com/watch?v=ZU1mRsN82Tc
highsnobiety.com/p/rolex-history
britannica.com/topic/Rolex
thewatchbox.com/de/de/blog/rolex-history.html
rolex.org/perpetual/making-history-with-rolex?ef_id=CjwKCAiA9aKQBhBREiwAyGP5lXGRKiUqqDYhKZNAHIsbHJ_78fEAnoPTAOpCZZXdjyJbQN86c8OhfxoCxMwQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!141!3!395287334610!e!!g!!rolex%20history
bobswatches.com/about-rolex.html

The quartz ‘crisis’
blog.crownandcaliber.com/the-quartz-crisis